The present invention relates to canisters for containing particulate-type products. In particular, the present invention is an air-tight membrane that seals an opening within the canister to ensure freshness of a particulate-type product, such as ready to eat cereal, contained within the canister. The air-tight seal membrane includes a first portion that delaminates from a remaining air-tight sealing portion upon opening of a lid member of the canister. The remaining air-tight sealing portion includes perforations that allow a consumer to easily open the remaining air-tight sealing portion to gain access to the particulate-type product.
An extremely popular form of packaging for dry, particulate-type products sold to consumers is a paper carton. A wide variety of different products are packaged in this form, ranging from consumable items such as cereals and baking goods to non-consumable items such as laundry detergents and de-icing salt pellets. Paper cartons present a number of advantages for manufacturers, retailers and ultimate consumers. For example, paper cartons are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and provide a number of flat surfaces onto which product or promotional information can be displayed. Further, paper cartons normally assume a rectangular, parallel-piped shape and are therefore readily stackable. Thus, a retailer can maximize shelf space while fully displaying the product. Obviously, consumers likewise find the stackability characteristic desirable for home storage. Finally, paper cartons are typically sized in accordance with consumer preferences such that a desired amount or volume of product is provided with each individual carton.
Certain types of products are amenable to storage within a paper carton alone. Generally speaking, however, a paper carton cannot, in and of itself, prevent degradation of the contained product to adequately maintain product integrity. For example, a paper carton likely will not prevent aroma, flavor, moisture, grease, oil, contaminants, small insects, etc. from passing through to the contained product. Thus, packaging for virtually all particulate-type products requires an additional container or liner disposed within the paper carton. This is especially true for consumable/food products. A widely accepted technique for maintaining product integrity is to place the product into an inner container or bag, that in turn is stored in the carton (commonly referred to as a xe2x80x9cbag in a boxxe2x80x9d). The bag is typically made of a plastic or glassine material and is sealed about the product. In this sealed form, the bag maintains product freshness and protection against insect infestation, whereas the outer paper carton provides packaging strength and display. Alternatively, a double packaging machine (DPM) technique may be employed to form a plastic or glassine liner within a paper carton on the inner surface thereof.
From a manufacturer""s standpoint, this box and inner liner packaging approach satisfies a number of important criteria including low cost, stackability, and large, flat surfaces for displaying product and promotional information. Unfortunately, however, paper cartons having plastic or glassine liners adhered to their inner surfaces may exhibit potential drawbacks. These possible disadvantages are perhaps best illustrated by reference once again to a ready-to-eat cereal product.
To manufacture a ready-to-eat cereal product paper carton having an adhered plastic or glassine liner, first the plastic or glassine liner is adhesively attached to a generally rectangular paper board substrate. Next, the paper board substrate with the liner adhered thereto is formed (such as by wrapping this structure about a mandrel) into a tubular main portion having opposing face panels and opposing side panels that define the body of the paper carton. This tubular main body portion includes upper and lower openings. Next, a seal membrane of plastic material is applied to the upper opening of the tubular main body portion to form an air-tight seal at this location. A paper board top panel or closure is then connected to the tubular main body portion over the seal membrane so as to encompass the upper opening. Next, the ready-to-eat cereal product is placed within the tubular main body portion through the lower opening. Finally, a paper board bottom panel or closure is connected to the tubular main body portion so as to encompass the lower opening.
One potential drawback of the paper carton having an adhered plastic or glassine liner packaging approach is the difficulty of inserting and properly sealing the upper opening of the tubular main body portion. From an automated manufacturing standpoint, it is a fairly complex two step procedure to first apply the plastic seal membrane to the upper opening in the tubular main body portion and then to apply the paper board closure panel over the plastic seal membrane. It is vital that this two step process be performed properly since the plastic seal membrane and the paper board closure panel function as an air tight seal at the upper opening in the tubular main body portion. Absent an air tight seal, the freshness and integrity of the ready-to-eat cereal product (i.e., particulate-type product) may be compromised, since without the air tight seal, contaminants, flavors, aromas, moisture, oil, grease small insects, etc. may pass through to the contained product.
Consumers continue to express a high demand for particulate-type products sold in paper cartons with plastic liners. However, manufacturing problems associated with the production of standard packaging, and in particular box with inner liner packages, may diminish purchasing enthusiasm. Therefore, a need exists for a particulate-type product canister that can be easily manufactured to provide an air tight seal to insure the freshness and integrity of the particulate-type product contained within canister. In particular, there is a need for a canister having a tubular main body portion whose upper opening can be consistently, readily and easily sealed with a plastic seal membrane and paper board closure panel to form an air tight seal at the upper opening of the tubular main body portion to maintain the freshness and the integrity of the particulate-type product, by preventing such things as contaminants, flavor, aroma, moisture, oil, grease, small insects, etc. from passing through to the contained product. Moreover, there is a need for a canister whose upper opening is sealed by way of a seal membrane and closure panel that can be readily opened to allow a consumer to easily gain access to the particulate-type product.
One aspect of the present invention provides a canister for storing a particulate-type product. The canister includes a main body portion, a bottom closure, a top closure and a seal membrane. The main body portion has an inner surface and an outer surface. The main body portion defines an upper opening and a lower opening. The bottom closure is connected to the main body portion so as to encompass the lower opening. The main body portion and the bottom closure combine to define an internal storage region. The top closure has an upper surface and a lower surface, and is connected to the main body portion so as to encompass the upper opening. With this in mind, the top closure includes an openable lid member having an upper surface and a lower surface. The lid member is configured to provide selective access to particulate-type product disposed within the internal storage region. Finally, the seal membrane forms a seal at the upper opening configured to maintain integrity of particulate-type product disposed within the internal storage region. The seal membrane includes a first substrate and a second substrate. Each of the first and second substrates includes a first surface and a second surface. The second surface of the first substrate is secured to the inner surface of the main body portion and positioned immediately adjacent particulate-type product disposed within the internal storage region. The first surface of the second substrate is non-removably secured to at least a portion of the lower surface of the lid member. The second surface of the second substrate is removably secured to the first surface of the first substrate, such that upon initial opening of the lid member, the second substrate delaminates from the first substrate at an interface, defined between the second surface of the second substrate and the first surface of the first substrate, and remains affixed to the lower surface of the lid member. In one preferred embodiment, the canister is configured to maintain a food product such as ready-to-eat cereal.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a packaged good article comprising a canister and a particulate-type product. The canister includes a main body portion, a bottom closure, a top closure and a seal membrane. The main body portion has an inner surface and an outer surface. The main body portion defines an upper opening and a lower opening. The bottom closure is connected to the main body portion so as to encompass the lower opening. The main body portion and the bottom closure combine to define an internal storage region. The top closure has an upper surface and a lower surface, and is connected to the main body portion so as to encompass the upper opening. With this in mind, the top closure includes an openable lid member having an upper surface and a lower surface. The lid member is configured to provide selective access to particulate-type product disposed within the internal storage region. Finally, the seal membrane forms a seal at the upper opening configured to maintain integrity of particulate-type product disposed within the internal storage region. The particulate-type product is disposed and contained within the internal storage region. The seal membrane includes a first substrate and a second substrate. Each of the first and second substrates includes a first surface and a second surface. The second surface of the first substrate is secured to the inner surface of the main body portion and positioned immediately adjacent particulate-type product disposed within the internal storage region. The first surface of the second substrate is non-removably secured to at least a portion of the lower surface of the lid member. The second surface of the second substrate is removably secured to the first surface of the first substrate, such that upon initial opening of the lid member, the second substrate delaminates from the first substrate at an interface, defined between the second surface of the second substrate and the first surface of the first substrate, and remains affixed to the lower surface of the lid member. In one preferred embodiment, the particulate-type product is a dry, ready-to-eat cereal.
Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a canister for containing a particulate-type product. The method includes providing a top closure having an upper surface and a lower surface. The closure has an openable lid member having an upper surface and a lower surface. A seal membrane is secured to the lower surface of the top closure and lid member to define a top closure/seal membrane. A tubular main body portion having an inner surface and an outer surface is then provided. The tubular main body portion defines an upper opening and a lower opening. Next, the upper opening of the tubular body is encompassed with the top closure/seal membrane. Similarly, the lower opening of the tubular body is encompassed with a bottom closure. The resulting canister forms an internal storage region for containing a particulate-type product. In one preferred embodiment, the resulting canister is configured to maintain a dry, ready-to-eat cereal food product.
During use, a user opens the canister by opening the lid member of the top closure. Upon opening of the lid member the second substrate delaminates from the first substrate. Perforations allow the consumer to readily remove an access portion of the second substrate thereby exposing the particulate-type product within the internal storage region of the canister. With the lid member of the top closure opened, the particulate-type product can be distributed from the canister. Following distribution of a desired quantity of product, the lid member of the top closure is returned to a closed position, effectively resealing the canister. By securing the seal membrane to the lower surface of the top closure and lid member prior to attaching the top closure/seal membrane to the upper opening of the tubular main body portion of the canister, allows this upper opening to be consistently, readily and easily sealed thereby forming an air tight seal at this upper opening capable of maintaining the freshness and the integrity of the particulate-type product, by preventing such things as contaminants, flavor aroma, moisture, oil, grease, small insects, etc. from passing through to the contained product.